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Kim Eun-Ji's voice was but a feeble murmur, barely audible over the drumming rain. Her bloodied hand trembled as she gently caressed Kim Rok Soo's cheek, leaving a crimson trail in its wake.
Kim Rok Soo, oblivious to the pungent scent of blood that surrounded them, nuzzled into her touch, his eyes squeezed shut, as if trying to block out the harsh reality that was unfolding before him.
"Don't cry," Eun-Ji whispered, her voice weak and fragile, her breath shallow.
Kim Rok-soo, his heart heavy with grief, nuzzled into Kim Eun-ji's hand, ignoring the metallic scent of her life slipping away. He squeezed his eyes shut, trying to block out the harsh reality of the situation.
"R-Rok-soo," Kim Eun-ji breathed, her words fragile and frail, like a delicate wisp of smoke. Her shallow breaths came in short gasps, each one a painful reminder of her fading vitality.
Kim Rok-soo knew that time was running out, that help wouldn't arrive in time. He felt a growing sense of desperation, a tightening in his chest that mirrored the physical anguish he was enduring.
But it was her pain that concerned him the most. Kim Eun-ji offered a weak smile through her tears, crimson drops trickling down her cheeks like macabre tearstains. "Don't look at me like that," she pleaded, her voice quivering.
"You... you're making it hard to leave."
Kim Rok-soo's heartache was palpable as he held her fragile form. Their foreheads pressed together, their fingers intertwined in a desperate, loving clasp. It was an intimate connection, one that transcended the grim circumstances surrounding them.
Tears welled up in Kim Rok-soo's eyes, mixing with the rain as he whispered, "I can't imagine a world without you, Eun-ji. You've been my light, my strength. I don't know how to go on without you."
Kim Eun-ji's weak smile grew more pronounced, her gaze filled with love and pain. "Rok-soo," she said, her voice barely a breath, "promise me you'll keep living, keep fighting. You're strong, and I know you can find happiness
Kim Rok-soo forced himself to open his eyes, his vision blurred by a mixture of raindrops and tears. But just as he was about to fully take in the devastating scene before him, a trembling hand covered his eyes, warm and slick with blood.
Eun-ji mumbled weakly, her voice barely audible above the sound of the rain and her own coughs, which sprayed blood onto the wet ground. "D-don't," she implored, her strength fading rapidly.
Kim Rok-soo could hear the anguish in her voice, the pain that each word cost her. His heart ached as he listened to her. She was trying to shield him from witnessing her suffering, to protect him even in her final moments.
"T-the one who could never forget," Eun-ji whispered, her voice trembling, "must protect himself."
Kim Rok-soo's breath hitched, and his eyes shook with hysteria. His throat tightened, and he felt a flood of conflicting emotions overwhelming him.
"I don't want to remember," he thought desperately. "I don't want to forget."
The paradox gnawed at him. He didn't want to remember this painful moment, to have it etched into his memory forever. Yet, he also didn't want to forget. This was the last time he would ever see his beloved wife, and even in its heartache, he cherished this memory.
Kim Rok-soo knew that this memory, this record, would play on an endless loop in his mind. He would suffer and grieve, attempting to avoid it but also compelled to relive it over and over again. He would wish he had never recorded this moment, yet he would also treasure it.
With great effort, Kim Rok-soo gently lowered Eun-ji's hand from his eyes, and as his vision cleared, his gaze locked onto hers. He inhaled sharply, drinking in every detail of her battered form, every injury, and every ounce of her fading strength.
"Eun-ji," he whispered, his voice shaking as he spoke her name. He gave her hand a reassuring squeeze, letting her know he was there with her, that she wasn't alone in this agonizing moment.
Kim Eun-ji managed a weak, trembling smile, blood staining her lips. "Let's... meet again... okay?" she said, her voice barely more than a breath.
Kim Rok-soo, his heart breaking, responded, "Yeah. Yeah, of course, we will." He committed every detail of her smile to memory, knowing it would be the last time he'd see it, the last time he'd hear her voice, down to her very last breath.
With an unwavering focus, Kim Rok-soo kept his eyes on Eun-ji as the rain poured down relentlessly, as if the heavens themselves were grieving. He couldn't tell if he was crying or if it was the rain mingling with his tears, but he didn't look away. He remained locked in this heartbreaking moment, watching his whole world crumble and die in his arms, his love for her etched into his soul forever.
